Time, memory and echoes of terror inform these works by distinguished composer Andrew Waggoner.

Composer Andrew Waggoner notes that these are five recent pieces that grew somehow out of the narrow space in which experience is transformed into history. Time, memory, the spell of love and the long-sounding echoes of terror inform each of these works, which while stylistically varied, share a common set of musical and emotional concerns. Bookending these pieces are two group improvisations by Open End. They frame and comment on the works they enclose. Born in 1960 in New Orleans, Andrew Waggoner studied at Eastman and Cornell. He has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Academy of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields and the Saint Louis Symphony, among others. He is the recipient of an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Roger Sessions Prize. He is Composer-in-Residence at the Setnor School of Music of Syracuse University and a co-founder of the new music ensemble Open End.

Review:

"There can be no doubt that Albany Records made the wisest of choices in tying its fortunes to [Andrew] Waggoner, for his music has everything we have come to expect from the greatest of contemporary composers–-confidence, originality, expressivity, and above all, palpable meaning. ...I believe that his music will withstand the test of time. ...Hats off for Andrew Waggoner, a most remarkable composer...for this invaluable release." (Fanfare)